NY Governor Proposes Chargers Along Thruway

In January, NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a proposal to install almost 70 chargers along the NY State Thruway, as well as 500 workplace charging stations across the state. This will add to the 4 charging stations that were installed along the Thruway as an initial test of the technology deployment. The existing stations — CHAdeMO and CCS — are located at the Plattekill Rest Area and Malden Travel Plaza (Northbound chargers) as well as the Ulster and Modena Travel Plazas (Southbound chargers).

While not explicitly stated, it is assumed that this new initiative will extend DC fast charging capabilities to all Travel Plazas throughout the Thruway corridors of Interstates 87 and 90. This will electrify the major statewide highways, both North-South and East-West, a huge benefit for long-range electric vehicles that are capable of fast charging, like the Tesla Model S and Chevrolet Bolt EV.

This announcement also coincides well with infrastructure needed for the NY-state portions of the EV Charging Corridors announced previously by the White House.

In addition to charging at the home and workplace, the main transit routes of New York increasingly require a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations. The New York State Thruway has been essential to the vitality of the Upstate economy by providing safe and reliable travel through the Northeast. However, today’s electric vehicles must almost always exit the 570-mile highway to recharge because only four charging stations exist within the Thruway system. To promote the use of electric vehicles in New York, the Thruway Authority will install 69 new plug-in electric vehicle charging stations along the Thruway.

This commitment will increase the amount of publicly accessible charging stations by 50 percent statewide and greatly expands their coverage along the system. The high concentration and extensive coverage of charging infrastructure that these new stations provide will help ensure the entire Thruway is designated as a nation-leading “EV Corridor” by the U.S. Department of Transportation Alternative Fuel Corridors program. This action also supports Governor Cuomo’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels.

The plug-in landscape is certainly heating up in the country’s fourth most populated state! In addition to this charging station announcement, the state will soon be implementing its much-anticipated Electric Vehicle Rebate Program, a $2,000 incentive for plug-in vehicle purchases in addition to existing federal incentives. Plug-in vehicles in the state also enjoy single-occupant HOV lane access and discounts on tolls and bridges using a special “Green” E-ZPass.

“Fourth most populated state”
That caught me off guard. It wasn’t that long ago that NYS was #2 (officially we were #2 in the 1990 census). People just can’t wait to get out of here! Mostly a combination of high taxes, strict regulations, and the weather I suppose.

Anyway, this is very exciting. I wonder when they might start building out more chargers. With the Bolt already here, and the Leaf 2 / Model 3 potentially by the end of the year, the longer-range EV market is about to grow quickly.

Not in NYC, which is experiencing a huge population boom, and all the high-rise construction that up-zoning and re-zoning brings along with it. Massive new high rise neighborhoods are sprouting up all over the place.

1970 was before my time. I do remember Texas passing us in 1994. A lot of people were surprised (and some upset for some reason, maybe because we keep losing electoral college reps).

Florida was only a matter of time. In a way, I’m surprised it took as long as it did. There are a lot of ex-NYers in FL. And far too many of them come back to NY in the summer time, driving 10-15MPH below the speed limit. Driving everybody crazy.

This should really help if it comes to fruition as planned! It will mean that EV’s can easily transit the Thruway system without concern. Heck, even an first generation Leaf equipped with DCFC could almost hop from thruway plaza to thruway plaza, at least during fair weather. 🙂

To expound upon comments I have previously made, and again reiterated here with the highlight of the abysmal non Tesla fast charging options west of the Hudson valley in NYS, I will point out the Tesla options…which keep on growing. The news here would seem to encourage the purchase of non Tesla EVs, as availability of fast charging will apparently get a jump start. However, if you were inclined to think Tesla (and its affordable Model 3) you should check out Tesla’s coverage map. It would show SC locations such as Buffalo, Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, Albany, Watertown (and others).

In addition to already open SC locations, I can now note two other superchargers that are apt to open soon. These are both near enough to me that I enjoy watching my options expand to the south and west of my Lake Ontario home. There is a nearly complete SC location just off the thruway at the Waterloo, NY exit at the casino on Route 414. There is also a permit application active for a SC just a couple miles removed from the thruway near Rochester, NY (Victor, NY, actually off of I 490).

I applaud NYS for moving forward with these fast charging options at the service areas…but it really is quite a no-brainer if you expect EVs to be catching on soon. LOTS of restaurant meal purchases that would not have previously happened AND, just like the GASOLINE at the service areas, I expect there will certainly be a return on investment, with electricity paid for at premium prices.

Tesla really has been and is a shining example in fast charge infrastructure rollout.

With the ChargePoint Express Plus fast charger now revealed, and any company that it going to stay in the fast charger business doing the same within a year, as a fast charge proponent I believe that any plans such as these, especially at toll road plaza locations, should call for a four stall ChargePoint Express Plus fast charger style setup, and nothing less.

By the end of this year anything else is simply outdated, so plans NEED to be well made NOW, and account for the high power and space needed by next gen EVs, particularly at a service plaza location. It’s like the most prime location for a high power fast charger.

Perhaps the state should simply do a co-location dollar-for-dollar capital match for any charging network doing a charging infrastructure installation built to support proprietary networks for instead expanding the scope of those new installations to include reliable instances of non-proprietary common charging standards. This would be another method of aiming at the same goal, in a likely speedier, likely more cost-efficient manner.